At the Philharmonie de Paris, Richard Wilberforce appointed choirmaster

The Philharmonie de Paris has appointed Richard Wilberforce as conductor of the Choir of the Orchester de Paris, directed to date by the duo Marc Korovitch and Ingrid Roose, the institution said in a press release.

"It's a chance for a conductor to work within an orchestra that places choral singing at the heart of its programming, and demonstrates the confidence placed in its extraordinary singers, of all ages", enthuses Richard Wilberforce.

Currently conducting the Cambridge University Symphony Choir, the British-born conductor emphasizes his keen interest in conducting youth choirs. "Following the line of my predecessors down to my compatriot Arthur Oldham, I am today extremely motivated to engage in collaborative work with the associated conductors and thus help to deliver passionate choral excellence to our public", said is he happy.

Tuesday, May 30, the chef from across the Channel took his first steps. Its Cambridge choir and its future singers from the Philharmonie have united to make the walls of the great Pierre Boulez hall vibrate. Klaus Mäkela, musical director of the Orchester de Paris, successfully introduced William Walton's tedious oratorio: Belshazzar's feast into the institution's repertoire. A successful baptism for the new chef, appreciated by the Finnish director.

“I met Richard Wilberforce for the first time two years ago in Paris when we worked together on “Le Soleil des eaux” by Pierre Boulez, testifies Klaus Mäkela. I discovered a passionate, open and very musical man. He brings a lot to our magnificent choir, and I look forward to working Rachmaninoff's “Les Cloches” with him next September. »

After his studies in opera singing at the Royal College of Music, Richard Wilberforce was destined for a career as a countertenor which led him to sing on the greatest European stages such as the Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin, the Théâtre du Capitole or the Grand Théâtre de Provence. Also a graduate of the University of Cambridge in choir conducting, he co-directs the Jeune Chœur de Paris with Marc Korovitch -antechamber of the Accentus ensemble founded by Laurence Equilbey- as well as the Vocal Ensemble of the Maîtrise de Paris.

He is regularly invited by various French ensembles such as Accentus, Ensemble Pygmalion, the Chœur de Radio France, Les Métaboles and the Chœur de l'Opéra de Lyon. In the UK he has worked with the London Philharmonic Choir, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

From September, he will lead the 350 passionate amateurs of the triple symphonic choir, of young people and children of the Philharmonie, founded in 1976 by Daniel Barenboim. Marc Korovitch, also conductor of Swedish radio and musical director of the Orchester Colonne, took over as director in January 2022. pandemic.

They continued the work of Lionel Sow, who left for Radio France after ten years in this great musical family. The latter had created the Academy in 2012, a breeding ground for young talents aged 18 to 25, most of whom are destined for an operatic career.